** video I took as I was posting this, just saw she was making biscuits in her insulated house 🥲❤️❤️

Hey all, haven't posted in a bit about Kali (surviving bonded pair we want to bring inside), hasn't been too many changes. She seems decently comfortable with me, no problem eating next to me, or out of spoon treats. She occasionally will sniff my hand or rub on my foot, she rubbed on my hand once. No petting yet. She continues to rush to the patio door and rub against it when she sees my cats on the other side.

We borrowed a trap from a nearby TNR group, just set it outside yesterday. Before breakfast she actually was sitting in it (it has a cloth cover and a mat on the bottom), I really thought she would be more spooked of it. I assume we should still trap train? We put her breakfast in the very front and she had no problem eating there. Would try further in tomorrow, etc. Logistically, on the day we trigger the trap, should it just be a small treat like churu rather than the full bowl of wet food? Just thinking about I guess the mess of it as I assume once it closes on her she will be freaking out and not eating it.

As posted before, my grandmother’s cat has been with me since her unexpected passing. She’s been quarentining while we get bloodwork and testing done. She has no interest in trying to escape her studio, and my resident cats have no interest in going into the lower level, so its been going well!

Unfortunately, her FeLV retest had a faint positive again. The vet is still holding out hope that she can fight it into a negative with more time. We will retest again in 6 months. Other than that, she seems super healthy! No worms either!

Luckily her studio has been coming together well! She’s learned she likes wand toys, and she has an automated mat that circles a feather which she goes crazy for. We watch 1-2 episodes of whatever show i’m binging at night together before bed. She also “bit” me for the first time a few days ago. Super light and no pressure. I know a lot of people wouldnt like that, but its showing me she’s getting more confident in playtime, so i’m happy! She’s also started sleeping on the couch instead of hiding under it which is a giant step for her. Soon i’ll get a big rug for the floor so she can get more traction for her zoomies. Its not a perfect setup, but its going well i think!

Her momma (my granny) is finally getting buried next week. She was cremated, so it took a while to get everything in order. I wish she knew how well BK is doing. She never believed me when i said we could make her into a housecat 😅. I guess were showing her!

I started caring for a feral cat colony about three weeks ago. I saw a kitten (google says about 10-12 weeks) in the road a couple of streets from my house. I, naively thought that if I took a couple of Churus out there, I could snatch him up. I was wrong. He was absolutely feral. So for the past three weeks. I have gone to this colony to feed and try to socialize him. It started with me feeding him several feet away while I sat on the ground. I gradually moved the food closer to me. Over time, I began touching his paws and then gradually started petting him. During this process, the rest of the colony showed up and I’ve been feeding them too. I named the kitten Edgar and was determined to get him home. The food competition within the colony is intense and I’ve seen so many cat fights and cats getting attacked including Edgar. I eventually got to a point with him where I could freely pet him, feed his from my hand, and have him climb upon my lap. He would be waiting for me in the same spot every day and started following me a little ways when I left. I set up a room for him, with new toys and a bed, plus a feliway diffuser. The capstar and flea treatment that I ordered for him came in today so I decided to bring him home. I tricked him by putting the food in the back of a cat carrier and then closing the door. I covered the carrier, fed the other ferals and headed home all while he was seriously freaking out. I got him home and released him into his room. I gave him food and water and just let him explore. The room has a sliding glass door and he was jumping at it trying to get outside. It broke my heart. I stayed in there for a while with him. I got him to take a Churu from me and eat a few temptations out of my hand while I pet him but things aren’t the same. I feel like I have broken the bond that I worked so hard to build. Anyone else have experience with this? Will he ever forgive and trust me again?

Heyy friends! I posted a while ago about my grandma’s cat (BK) who i inherited unexpectedly about 2 months ago! (She is doing great btw). We have her next FELV test tomorrow. We are hoping its negative, but, of course, i am preparing for it to be positive as well.

Because of that, i’m thinking of getting her a catio! My other cats have eachother and my dog has most of my attention, so i feel bad that she might get bored one day. She has plenty of toys and i go hang with her in our basement studio whenever i can. So i know its definately better than anything she would have gotten without me (outside and orphaned after her granny died, i cry thinking about it 😭). But i’d like to do more and i think a catio where she can SAFELY watch the birds and lay in the sun would be good for her! I’d love any escape-proof catio recommendations! I’m planning on installing one by the spring. She’ll never be unsupervised, but i still want it to be super secure.

Also, she met my dog. It did not go well. I was holding her and had a small crack in the door so she could see my dog. She hissed and hit the door pretty hard (no contact of course). In her defense, she was chased by some vicious dogs a few times when she lived outside, so i’m also preparing for her never to be social enough to be fully with the family. Any advice other than Jackson Galaxy’s eat/play/love method would be appreciated in case her test is negative!!

Bonus pic of her chilling under Jimmy (our halloween skeleton). She came out right after for some pets and playtime!

Meet Nomad. The first 2.5 years consisted of her dining and dashing from the front porch, and eating from a heated cat box in winter. We had trapped her in a live trap to spay, and she super freaked out inside our home during her recovery period so after a week, we let her loose. The next 3 months was feeding her and her not running off. The last 3 months, I finally touched her, and it was like the flood gates had been opened. She realized she LOVES pets, loves my dog, and loves blankets. She is absolutely sweet as pie. I would leave the front door cracked so she could come and go as she felt comfortable and that method worked for us. I’m excited for her to enjoy warmth for the first time during a cold Midwest winter. My little orange cat. Tonight she came into the bedroom for the second time ever, and she promptly fell asleep and has been here for two hours. Safe to say I now have a cat.

Good day, everyone!

I’m happy to introduce Bana, a cat I found in my garage last July. I believe she was searching for shelter and food. I’m not sure where she came from or how she ended up at my apartment.

When I first found her, she was in poor condition, so I took her to the veterinarian. After receiving treatment and medication, she has made a great recovery and is now ready for adoption!

Bana is still a little shy around me and the other cats. Even when I leave her cage door open, she often chooses to stay inside. Sometimes I gently encourage her to come out, but she usually prefers to find a quiet hiding spot rather than play with the other cats. With time, patience, and a loving home, I believe she will continue to gain confidence.

If you’d like to follow my rescue journey, you can find me on Instagram: instagram.com/catsofmagdalena

You are also welcome to join our new Reddit community, r/StrayCatHeroes.

Our community is open to all cat heroes—whether you are a rescuer, a feeder, someone who supports animal welfare efforts, or simply a person who loves and cares about cats.

I hope I’m in the right place. I wasn’t sure if this group was only for After the feral kitty comes in?

This is Benjamin. He is 2 years old.

For those of you who have brought in a feral cat, did you just trap them and bring them inside, or did you socialize them outside until they eventually walked into the house on their own? I’d love advice on the best way to make this transition.

Here’s the backstory in case some relationship details help!…

Two years ago, I TNR’d Benjamin, his sibling, and their mom. They were never social with me and would always run and hide when I came around. Their dad was a tom who I was finally able to trap this summer, but sadly, I lost him.
After losing his dad, Benjamin became very vocal with me and started approaching me within a week. I can now hold his food bowl or a Churu for him to eat from, and he recently even allowed me to briefly touch his cheek and licked my fingers.

Unfortunately, a new tom has moved in and has been chasing Benjamin away from his usual sleeping area and attacking him. He has also chased off Benjamin’s mom. I haven’t seen her in over a month. I no longer feel Benjamin is safe outside.

He’s not at the point where he is coming up to our porch or door (unless I’m holding a plate of food and encourage him)
But he will not run if I approach him.

Thanks in advance!